Haringey Council has approved the award of twenty framework agreements for substance misuse residential rehabilitation services, ensuring residents have access to appropriate care.
The decision, made by Councillor Lucia das Neves, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care, and Wellbeing, will see the framework agreements run for four years, from April 16, 2026, to March 31, 2030. The maximum potential value across these agreements is £800,000, with funds earmarked from the Substance Misuse element of the Public Health Grant. The actual cost will depend on the number of placements made and bed nights used, with a maximum annual cost of £200,000.
The council has a statutory duty to commission substance misuse services, funded by the Public Health Grant. Residential rehabilitation is recognised as an evidence-based treatment that contributes to improved health, reduced crime, and strengthened community resilience.
A procurement process was undertaken, involving market engagement and the publication of a tender notice. Of the 17 organisations that expressed interest, 12 submitted a total of 22 tenders. Tenders were evaluated against Key Criteria and Price, with a weighting of 65% for Key Criteria and 35% for Price. To ensure quality, tenderers needed a minimum score of 35% for the Key Criteria. One tender was disqualified for being incomplete, as it did not provide a response to a key question, and another failed to meet the minimum quality threshold. The remaining twenty tenders were fully evaluated and recommended for award.
The selected services include providers with facilities adapted for residents with visible and hidden disabilities, single-sex provision, specialist therapists, and organisations with significant LGBTQ+ expertise, including services knowledgeable about chemsex. All providers are registered with the Care Quality Commission and must be rated Good
or above.
Councillor das Neves stated that the decision follows a procurement process conducted in accordance with Contract Standing Orders and relevant regulations, aiming to ensure residents have access to appropriate rehabilitation centres based on their assessed needs and availability. The procurement process was designed to ensure that successful providers can meet the full range of residents' needs, with a co-produced service specification supporting the delivery of the Haringey Deal and ensuring value for money. Providers were assessed through detailed method statement questions covering quality, value, equity and choice. Within the method statement was a specific question to assess equity, and only those able to demonstrate how the needs of those with protective characteristics will be met have been selected. It is expected that all facilities have a diverse workforce, that faith, culture and age are respected and celebrated. The decision is expected to have a positive impact on equalities by ensuring equitable, person-centred support that responds to a wide range of needs.
The option to do nothing
was rejected as residential rehabilitation is a crucial part of the borough's statutory substance misuse treatment offer. Failure to provide this service could compromise treatment outcomes and jeopardise the council's ability to meet its grant-funded responsibilities.
All residential rehabilitation centres report performance data to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. Commissioners review this information monthly and hold quarterly performance meetings with providers to ensure robust oversight of access, outcomes and equity throughout the four-year term.
More information on the procurement process and the awarded framework agreements can be found in the Public reports pack and the Printed minutes of the meeting. Further details are also available in the Substance Misuse Treatment and Residential Rehab Procurement document.
